Mom was right: Haste makes waste

The state Legislature apparently needs to hire someone to dispense Mom-like wisdom such as "Haste makes waste." (Last) week alone, legislators have had to fix errors or problems in two previous bills.

They weren't typos or other simple oversights. Both involved language that could have had serious repercussions for people affected by the new laws.

? Bill No. 1: Requires officials and volunteers for youth sports organizations to take players who may have suffered concussions out of the game and keep them out of play until a medical professional clears them.

The problem: The original bill would have permitted criminal charges to be filed against coaches and referees who make the wrong call about a child's injury. That wasn't legislators' intent; a new bill passed this week makes it clear.

? Bill No. 2: Defines eligibility guidelines for teachers in connection with the state's new third-grade reading guarantee. (The guarantee requires most third-graders to be held back a year if they can't pass a reading test.)

The problem: The initial eligibility guidelines for teachers who are assigned to reading improvement were so strict that far too few teachers qualified. School districts were worried that they wouldn't have enough people to meet the new mandate. The common-sense correction allows teachers with a record of effectiveness, those who aren't the student's "teacher of record" and those with related credentials to also work on reading improvement.

Lesson learned, legislators?

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Mom was right: Haste makes waste

The state Legislature apparently needs to hire someone to dispense Mom-like wisdom such as 'Haste makes waste.' (Last) week alone, legislators have had to fix errors or problems in two previous bills.